YOUNG AND FEARLESS
The ninth season of the Indian Super League began on October 7. Here are five young players to watch out for.
The 2022-23 season of the Indian Super League kicked off on October 7. Over the years, we have seen young players make their mark in the league and play an important role in their team’s success. Here are five youngsters to watch out for this season.
Sivasakthi Narayanan (Bengaluru FC)
Sivasakthi Narayanan has been making his mark on Indian football for some time, but his performance in Durand Cup 2022 has brought him into further spotlight. The 21year-old scored five goals in the competition, including one in the final against Mumbai City FC.
Sivasakthi’s youth career started at the Raman Vijayan Soccer School. He was the top scorer in the 2018-19 season of the Elite League, after which he joined Bengaluru FC’S B team. He played for Bengaluru B in the 2020-21 season of Bangalore Super Division and emerged as the top goalscorer with 15 goals, including two hat-tricks.
Sivasakthi received his senior team callup in April 2021. He made his senior team debut against Maziya S&RC and scored just 10 minutes after coming on as a substitute. He was also a member of the Bengaluru FC team that took part in the 2022 Next Generation Cup, scoring a second-half brace in his team’s 6-3 loss against Leicester City.
Jiteshwor Singh (Chennaiyin FC)
Two-time ISL champion Chennaiyin FC signed Jiteshwor Singh for the 2022-23 season. The 20-year-old defensive midfielder played over 1,500 minutes for NEROCA FC last season in the I-league — 12 league and five championship stage matches. Jiteshwor is known to be a solid presence in the middle of the park, and his impressive performance for NEROCA won him the I-league’s Emerging Player of the Season award in 2021-22.
It is to be seen whether Thomas Brdaric immediately includes him in the starting XI, but with his signing, the Marina Machans have bolstered their midfield arsenal. Team captain Anirudh Thapa, Edwin Vanspaul, Ninthoinganba Meetel and Vincy Barretto